


Too Hot (Hot Damn)

by Stealthtable



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Minor Illness, New Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stealthtable/pseuds/Stealthtable
Summary: This is the first time Barry’s gotten sick in their whole relationship.It’s just a cold, but that’s not going to stop Lup from worrying.Lucretia is helpful.





	Too Hot (Hot Damn)

Lup stirs under the warm blankets and opens her eyes. It’s dark in the room, but it doesn’t bother her, she can still see. She rolls over toward Barry, who’s shoved the covers down off of himself, leaving his chest bare. She smiles. She’s done meditating for the night and fully awake. Maybe Barry would like to keep her company?

“Hey babe?” Lup half whispers. “Are you awake?”

Barry moans. “N’really,” he rasps, and starts to cough. “Ughhh,” he moans, shoving at the covers and kicking a foot out the side.

Lup scoots over to snuggle with him, but as soon as she touches his skin she recoils. It’s hot. Too hot.

“Barry? Babe are you okay, you’re really hot,” Lup asks, concerned. She gingerly smooths his hair back from his forehead, and her hand comes away sweaty.

“Nooooo, I’m sleepin’, leeme ‘lone don’t feel good,” groans Barry, rolling to his side and kicking his other leg out from under the covers.

Lup is horrified. Something’s wrong with Barry. He’s supposed to be way cooler than her, and he always goes for a kiss even in his half sleep, every time in the 7 months since the conservatory. This isn’t the first time she’s finished meditating and woken him for some cuddles or something a little more intimate, and he’s always been thrilled and ready and hot...but not like this.

Lup suddenly remembers: Merle’s in parley. Shit! Barry’s clearly sick and needs a healer and Merle’s out for the cycle. It’ll be months before he’s back. Lup feels panic start to rise in her throat and shoves it back down. She doesn’t know anything about sick humans, hell, she barely knows enough about sick elves to have kept herself and Taako alive this far. Neither one of them has ever been too hot, though. They’ve gotten too cold, sure, and had the shivers and coughs and junk. She’s gonna have to figure a way to help Barry.

Lup jumps out of bed and hauls on her pajamas from the floor. She hadn’t bothered putting them back on again last night after she and Barry had finished their lovemaking. Neither had he, for that matter. Lup turns back to Barry and half whispers, “I’m gonna find out how to help you, babe, go back to sleep for now, okay?” Barry moans again and coughs hard. Lup frowns and rushes out into the hallway.

Lup runs one door over and pounds her fist against it. “LUCRETIA! ARE YOU AWAKE?” she yells through the door, narrowly avoiding thumping Lucretia over the head as the door swings open mid-pound.

“Lup? You know it’s four in the morning, right?” yawns Lucretia, drawing her bathrobe around herself against the morning chill.

“Barry’s HOT!” Lup begins.

“Yes, dear, I’m very happy for you, I hope you two enjoy all of your carnal delights. Gods know it sounds like you do from my side of the wall. Now, I’ve got to go back to sleep, you know humans need at least eight--”

“Not like that, I mean he’s too hot. His body is hot. He’s coughing, I think he’s sick, what do humans need if they’re sick? Merle’s in parley, I need help, I gotta help him--”

“Lup, dear, take a breath,” Lucretia interrupts, rubbing her right eye. “Did he say he felt sick? Has he vomited? Are his glands swollen?” 

“Humans have fucking glands that swell? I don’t know,” snaps Lup, then settles. “Sorry, you’re trying to help. He’s still sleeping mostly, but he coughed and he sounds bad and he’s hot.”

“Do you want me to check on him?” Lucretia asks calmly.

“Uh...he’s not wearing...you know, anything...I don’t think he’d…” Lup explains.

Lucretia nods and holds up a hand. “Got it,” she says, “no need to clarify.” She thinks a minute. “Nothing you’ve described so far sounds out of character for a cold or a touch of the flu. His body will fight it off. Why don’t you get him some cool water for now and let him sleep, and we’ll check up on him when it’s actually daytime and he’s had a chance to put some clothes on,” Lucretia suggests.

Lup takes a deep breath. ”Okay,” she says, “I can do water, how much does he need, lots?”

Lucretia smiles. “All the water he can drink, dear, and back to bed for everyone. Barry’s generally pretty healthy, he’ll be okay, Lup, alright?”

Lup nods. “Okay. Water and sleep, I can handle it. Sorry for blasting you out of bed, Luc.”

Lucretia pulls Lup into a hug. “It’s alright, see you in the morning.”

Lup hugs Lucretia back, then releases her and dashes off to the kitchen. Lucretia shakes her head and goes back to bed.

~~~~~

Lup pulls down a pitcher and a glass from the cupboard and fills the pitcher with fresh water. She heads back to Barry’s room and sits down next him, pouring a glass of water before depositing the pitcher on the bedside table. “Barry, you awake? I brought you some water, can you drink it for me, babe?”

“Lup?” Barry moans, levering himself up on an elbow, “babe, I don’t feel so good, I’m sorry, maybe later? Maybe just a little kiss? Sorry--”

Lup shushes him. “Drink this, you sound all raspy. Does your throat hurt?”

Barry nods, downing the water. “Yeah, it’s pretty rough,” he answers, feeling his neck just below his jawline. “Glands aren’t swollen though, that’s a good sign,” he muses.

“What the fuck are these glands everyone’s on about?” mutters Lup, refilling the glass. “Can you drink one more for me?”

Barry takes the glass and drains it too. “I’ll be alright, Lup, don’t worry okay? I’m just gonna sleep a little more.”

Lup nods. “Let me help you get back in your pajamas,” she says, “that way you’ll be comfy, okay?” She picks up the pajama shirt and pulls the sleeves over each arm, then buttons the front. Barry swings his legs out of bed and pulls on the pants, then settles back into bed again. He falls asleep almost immediately, while Lup lies awake next to him.

~~~~~

A couple of hours later, Lup slips out of Barry’s room, nearly running straight into Lucretia in the hallway. “How’s Barry doing?” asks Lucretia.

“He drank some water and now he’s sleeping,” Lup answers, “and he tried to choke himself out and said his glands aren’t swollen. He’s still hot though, I don’t like it, and he’s groany and raspy.” She frowns worriedly.

“He’ll be okay, Lup,” Lucretia assures her, “is he dressed? I can check on him if he’s ready.”

“Yeah, he is,” Lup says, “I’ll see if he’s awake.” Lup heads back into Barry’s room, where Barry is just starting to stir.

“Barry?” Lup asks, “Are you awake, babe? Lucretia wants to check on you, I don’t know anything about sick humans, is that ok?”

Barry coughs, and pours himself some more water. “Yeah, fine,” he rasps, settling back in bed.

Lup ushers Lucretia in, and sits down on the bed next to Barry, crisscrossing her legs.

“Feeling sick, Barry?” Lucretia asks, and Barry nods.

“Just a virus or something, I’ll be okay,” he answers, and coughs. “My glands aren’t even swollen, though, probably not anything too bad. Just a little feverish, I’ll sleep it off.” He takes Lup’s hand. “I really am alright, babe, it’s okay I promise.”

“What. The fuck. Are these. Glands?” Lup mutters again. Barry squeezes her hand reassuringly.

“Why don’t you let me sleep and just do whatever you planned to today, okay?” he suggests.

Lup looks doubtful. “Okay,” she says, “you’ll call if you need me though, right?”

Barry nods. “Don’t worry.”

Lup and Lucretia leave the room, closing the door behind them. As soon as they’re outside, Lup pulls Lucretia into a tight hug. “Thanks, Luc,” she whispers into Lucretia’s shoulder. 

Lucretia rubs Lup’s back comfortingly. “It’s alright,” she says, smiling. “Why don’t you go make sure that lunch is chicken soup?”

**Author's Note:**

> I’m indebted to negligiblecatharsis for their headcanon about elves’ fevers being inverse to humans: they get too cold instead of too hot, and shiver to warm up instead of sweating to cool down.
> 
> Real talk: my mom did the neck gland checking thing and I’m still not clear on it except that if they’re swollen you gotta take it more seriously.
> 
> Also, panicky worried Lup is a challenge to write, but very sweet.


End file.
